Multiple Intelligences

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Transcript of Multiple Intelligences

Multiple IntelligencesDo teachers use Gardener’s theory of Multiple Intelligences, and if they do, how?As a future teacher I was curious to learn more about Gardener's theory of Multiple Intelligence and how could I use it in the classroom to benefit my students, this was the guiding question for my research.About Multiple Intelligence:Multiple Intelligence is not synonymous to learning style.

If a student likes music does not necessary means that he has a developed musical intelligence.The 8 Multiple Intelligence (MI)Strengths : math, reasoning, logic, problem-solving, patterns Likes to : solve problems, question, work with numbers, experimentLearns best by: working with patterns and relationships, classifying, categorizing, working with the abstract

Strengths:understanding people, leading, organizing, communicating, resolving conflicts, selling.Likes to: have friends, talk to people, join groups.Learns best by: sharing, comparing, relating, interviewing, cooperating.Strengths: understanding self, recognizing strengths and weaknesses, setting goals. Likes to: work alone, reflect, pursue interests. Learns best by: working alone, doing self-paced projects, having space, reflection.Strengths: understanding nature, making distinctions, identifying flora and fauna. Likes to: be involved with nature, make distinctions, observe objects in the environment.Learns best by: working in environmental settings, exploring living things, learning about plants and natural events, awareness of surroundings and patterns.In the classroom:"We all have the multiple intelligences. But we single out, as a strong intelligence, an area where the person has considerable computational power. Your ability to win regularly at a game involving spatial thinking signals strong spatial intelligence. Your ability to speak a foreign language well after just a few months of ‘going native’ signals strong linguistic intelligence." (Gardner)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/16/howard-gardner-multiple-intelligences-are-not-learning-styles/?tid=auto_complete Individualize our teaching as much as we can. In place of teaching “one size fits all,” we should learn as much as possible about each student, and teach each student in ways that they find comfortable and learn effectively. This is easier to accomplish with smaller classes, but knowing the students will help us become better teacher.Teach important materials in several ways, not just one (e.g. through stories, works of art, diagrams, role play). Pluralizing our teaching will help us reach the students who learn in different ways. By presenting materials in various ways, also shows what it means to understand something well. If we can only teach in one way, our own understanding is likely to be limited.We should try to:

There is not an official type of test that would recognize the prevalent MI in an individual, but there are some surveys that could provide a good idea. I would like to provide a survey at the beginning of the year to have a better idea of the MIs in my classroom.http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/questions.cfmClick here to do a MI surveyReferences:Gardner, H. (2011). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Basic books."History of Project Zero." Project Zero: History. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013."Home Page." The Good Project: Ideas and Tools for a Good Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2013."Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory" PBS, n.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2013."Mi Oasis." Mi Oasis. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. "Multiple Intelligences." Howard Gardner. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

While it would be hard to individualize instruction to all students, using technology is a way that could help, there are several apps that could help us.10. How would you incorporate reading/writing, and/or math if you were teaching art? Illustrating/sculpting words or phrases is great fun – idioms, slang, vocabulary words. Math appears in geometric patterns around the world – also a great link to many cultural studies. Also symmetry, ratios, measurement, etc.I would have them research an artist or artistic movement and have them give an oral presentation to the class with a ppt of famous paintings by the artist.Art is a great outlet for SPED students, so they draw about a book they read, or do patterns for math.Draw the words into a shape, use ratios…I did teach art, and I incorporated math by using ratios and proportions, I incorporated reading/writing by having the students read about an artist/artwork and write a report about it.1. What were your top three areas in the MI survey?Math, Nature, and MusicSocial, Self, and Language.Nature, Musical, and SocialMusical, Nature, and LogicalBody Movement, Self, and Visual 2.Were they what you expected they would be? YesYes.YesYes, but I'm little surprised with the logical one.Yes.3.Do you find it difficult to teach to the least of your MI? How do you do it? No – I find teaching, self-reflection, and relationships helps me to better know my own self. I learn WITH the students. We have a great social/emotional curriculum called “2nd Step” No. I have them memorize songs, we play Simon says, and they use numbers to do simple math problems.No. I incorporate lots of different exercises in the lesson, and I use differentiate instruction, so I think it is all covered. Sometimes, I have to put more effort if I am teaching math, as I am not a math person.No. I try to incorporate UDL as much as possible.Questions 3 & 5:It is not hard to meet the individual students needs, with effort and creativity, we can teach to the least of our MI strengths, and keep students engaged5.How do you engage all, or most MI's in the same lesson? Individualize – I survey my students early in the year about their own MIs – we do a lot of work with this as a class, learning our own strengths and challenges. Once we all know how others “think,” even students offer peers suggestions about how to tackle challenges by using MI strengths (i.e.: tackle a tough math problem with visual/spatial drawings, etc.).Offer different ways to complete a given project.I try to incorporate most, but sometimes is not possible to use all at the same time, I make up songs, have different textures.I give a lot of individual instruction, so I know what the student is capable of doing.In my classes students were allowed to move and I also allowed music. I also accepted suggestions from the students for projects. 6. How would you differentiate your lesson to incorporate MI? See above. I don’t try and target all MI’s in a lesson, that would be nuts! But, I can generalize about what my student’s strengths are, and where their struggles are.Give the students alternative ways to complete an assignment.As I said before, I incorporate music, movement, puzzles, if a subject allows to be taught in a different way, I will try it.I find that it is easier to incorporate in the lower level grades, after 3rd grade it becomes hard, and I have to work with a specific subject that the student’s needs reinforcement or to catch up, and with different level of students so that is something that I still need to find a way to incorporate.Same as above.8. Describe a lesson using technology you like to teach that could incorporate MI. We often use the promethean board, which gives kids the opportunity to rotate objects, use math manipulative images, draw, highlight, insert sound clips, etc. Lots of MI opportunities.There is a comic strip building website that the students can do individually or with their flexible group partner for DI. They can choose the items/characters to insert and captions they want to write under each one. This allows them to use new vocabulary, new grammar concepts all in a fun, unique way. If they wanted, they could draw their own on their own laptop, if they have the program to do so.There is not a specific lesson, but I use iPadThe students really like using the computer and the iPad, each staff got an iPad, so I allow the students to use it, I recoded the spelling tests in it, it is still me saying the words, but they like to use the earphones and do it.Photography, I also taught digital photography, and the students had to prepare several projects that included visual, verbal, logic, inter, and intra MIs.9. Describe a lesson you like that incorporates another subject with your own.I teach elementary, (math, reading, writing, social/emotional, science, spelling, etc). I often incorporate movement/rhythm and art in to my lessons…. We spell with our bodies, clap/snap patterns of words we are studying, creating flip-books of insect adaptations, etc.Spanish language with Hispanic artists and their art. We look at Salvador Dali's art and they learn about surrealism. As an activity we make an exquisite corpse. The paper is folded in four and each student adds another part to the body. Upon unfurling the paper they see an exquisite corpse.As a SPED teacher I am teaching several subjects.I teach whatever the student is struggling with, so it will be what the student needs to know that will determinate what I will be teaching, it would be nice to incorporate art and music, but the time is limited.I liked to incorporate geography and history, e.g. I am from Canada and when we did soap carving I included some history of the Inuit people and we carved an animal figure in that style.The Questionnaire:Questions 1 and 2, teachers, in general, have a good idea of their own MI.7. Describe a struggle you have had as a teacher. Pushing my high-end students to their highest potential. Time, differentiation, and designing individualized extensions for more than a few kids is something I need some support with (time/materials)Incorporating all the new concepts of Common Core.Not enough time to work individually with all the students I have.That my students are not getting everything they need.Grading. I had a rubrics, if all that is described in the rubric is incorporated in the artwork, the student would get an A, even if it is something that would never be exposed in a gallery. Some students found it hard to accept when their project appeared “superior” to others but had the same grade.Question 4:Possibly the most challenging student to teach is the student with lack of people smarts (low interpersonal intelligence), as they might disturb other students without even being aware of it.

4.What type of learner do you find most challenging? Why? Students with really low intrapersonal skills (lacking “people smarts”). The social component of elementary grades is so strong that when students are challenged in this department, it makes for challenges across multiple learning areas.Spatial. I do not see things like they can.Learners that are not visual or auditoryLearners that do not get the cues from other students when they are disturbing them, students that lack intrapersonal skills.Students with lack of social skills. Because I find hard to read them, and they don’t get the cues from the other students.Questions 5 & 6:The answers are along with what Dr. Gardner said about individualizing our teaching. Differentiated instruction, and using alternative ways of teaching the material would be a way to incorporate and engage the different MIs.I also found out that we don’t have to teach in 8 different ways, we can incorporate different approaches.

Question 7:From the overview of the answers I would say that having enough time to work with each student, and to incorporate all that is needed, is a common struggle among teachers. There is so much that we can do with the number of the students in the classroom and the time allocated for preparation and instructions.

Question 8:Technology allows us to incorporate different MIs in our lesson plans, we just have to find the best app that would work for our students and lesson. Question 9:We don't have to limit our lesson to our content, it is fun and effective to incorporate other contents to ours.Question 10:Art offers a great support to other content areas, there are many ways that it can be incorporated with other lessons.X. Asked question?Teacher's response.Evidence.Answer.Data.Each color is a different teacher's reply.Question X:My conclusion.Dr. Howard Gardner